3 replies to this topic

[natalia90]

Hi All,
I need some ideas.

I don’t want to go into the details, but some of our batches are small and require a small amount of different ingredients added at the different stages of batching.
I have noticed that the production team often forgets to add one of the ingredients that is already batched.
Anyway, my question is, does one of you have an idea or ideas about how to prevent this?
I was thinking of getting small deli color-coded containers, so batch 1 - would be blue color, etc. - however, that will not coordinate with our original color coding - as white if of any food contact products, blue alleregen etc.

[Scampi]

um   where is the line lead hand?  that person should be monitoring production

 

colour coding isn't going to help if that can't remember to add an ingredient

 

do you have batch records that someone needs to initial each ingredient weight that is added?  that might make more sense and get more compliance

[GMO]

If you have lean or CI colleagues working with you, I'd spend some time with them and operations to work on it together.  My gut feel is some visual management might be really useful.  What the outputs are may depend a lot on how many ingredients, whether they can be mixed and added together etc.  

 

So for example, in one site we had ingredients batched into "stages" so while a batch might have had 20 ingredients, they were only added in 5 steps so the small ingredients were in the same container as other small ingredients.

 

In another site we had problems with samples being taken so we made a holder with spaces for the number of samples needed.  This made sure that there was a visual cue to take the right amount.  

 

Things like that can be really helpful to get compliance.

 

I just want to raise a "yay go you!" though and a big cheer.  It's a constant bugbear of mine that quality people don't always look for the wider reasons for non compliance.  I like it when we work with people to make things better.

[nwilson]

I agree with above comments here in that there needs to be some sort of verification that the correct ingredients are added and that a better understanding of the process is needed.  If it were me I would be on the floor monitoring the process, asking questions, trying to figure out a mutual solution, and explaining the importance of the jobs that the operators are performing.  Getting on their level and making sure they are supported will go such a long way.  They might even have the solution already figured out, which further fosters future open communication and dialog.  In every plant and consult I have successfully changed the mindset of being the police to being a support to their role, functions, and well being, just by getting on the same level.  It goes a long way.  

 

Find a solution that works and that your staff can follow, if it means color coding, placing bins in different areas, combining ingredients into stages, etc.  Just make sure it sticks and you have by in to get it accomplished. 

 

And I will second @gmo stating glad folks such as yourself are looking at the bigger picture and doing the good work.  Keep it up! 

 

All the best.